Cowboy’s Christmas Bridesmaid (Trinity Falls: Icicle Christmas #8)

15. Tanner

15

TANNER

T anner felt an unexpected sense of possessiveness overcome him as he led Valentina out of the store.

He had never known anyone like her, and he’d never felt this way before, like his whole world was shifting and turning itself to make room for her, leaving a yawning emptiness he could feel in his chest every time she looked up at him and he didn’t take her in his arms and kiss her the way she needed to be kissed.

They had almost made it down to the street again, where Zeke and Elton were playing with a few more friends, when he spotted a familiar face.

“Mrs. Hastings,” he said. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Hello, Tanner,” she said with a smile, as if she hadn’t taken to torturing his boy with her mountains of homework.

She honestly seemed too young and friendly to be putting such a burden on little kids.

“ Mrs. Hastings ,” Zeke yelled suddenly, tearing up the street and onto the sidewalk to greet her. “Mrs. Hastings, you came to the celebration.”

“Hello, Ezekiel,” she said fondly. “I sure did. You children told me how special this was, and I can already see that you’re right.”

“Zeke,” Elton called to him impatiently, and the boy got a torn expression on his face.

“Go on,” Mrs. Hastings said. “Don’t make your friend wait for you.”

“Okay, goodbye, Mrs. Hastings,” Zeke squeaked before darting back down to his friend.

“He’s such a lovely boy,” Mrs. Hastings said, looking after him.

“He really loves you,” Tanner told her honestly.

Valentina caught his eyes and raised her eyebrows, as if to tell him to say something.

But what was he supposed to say? You were supposed to treat teachers with respect. He was pretty sure that Aunt Leticia would have been furious if someone had stopped her in the street to complain about her teaching, back when she was a math teacher before his cousins came along.

“Zeke really wants to make you proud by doing his homework every day,” Valentina said calmly. “But it sometimes takes him from the minute he gets home until bedtime to finish.”

“Oh dear. It shouldn’t take that long,” Mrs. Hastings said, looking horrified. “That’s not what I’m planning for when I assign it.”

“How long should the homework take, would you say?” Valentina asked, still calm, with a thoughtful expression.

“No more than forty-five minutes,” Mrs. Hastings said firmly. “Children have to be children. They can’t sit at the kitchen table all night.”

“Oh wow,” Valentina said, nodding. “How about this? Zeke could do his homework for forty-five minutes, and his dad can sit with him to make sure he’s working hard the whole time. Then when the timer goes off, maybe Tanner can make a note on the page and sign it. That way you would know for sure that Zeke worked hard, did his best, and put in exactly the amount of time you wanted.”

Tanner braced himself. Somehow, the way Valentina said it made the whole thing seem really reasonable. But in his experience, authority figures wanted respect. They didn’t want you asking to change the rules. Mrs. Hastings wasn’t going to like it one bit.

“I love it,” Mrs. Hastings said happily. “Oh, I’m so glad that you brought this up. I know that wasn’t easy for you. But I’m grateful you did, and this solution sounds just right for Zeke.”

“That’s so great,” Valentina said with a big smile. “Thank you for stopping to chat about it, especially over the weekend.”

Tanner figured he was the only one noticing Valentina’s shoulders going down slightly with relief. She had been worried, but she had gone to battle for Zeke anyway.

He swallowed over a lump in his throat, wondering why tears were prickling his eyes.

“You know, I may just suggest this strategy to the other parents as well,” Mrs. Hastings said thoughtfully. “I got a few email messages complaining about homework at the beginning of the year, but since second grade is the first year where they get substantial work outside of school, I didn’t think it was anything but growing pains.”

“That’s understandable,” Valentina said, nodding.

“I used to teach the fourth grade,” Mrs. Hastings confided. “This is my first year with second graders, and the adjustment is a learning curve for me, too. I should have realized.”

“The kids love you,” Valentina said firmly. “And it’s clear how much you care about them. As far as I’m concerned, you’re doing an amazing job.”

“I’m so glad Zeke has you in his life,” Mrs. Hastings said to Valentina with a warm smile, then turned to Tanner. “And of course, you two make such a lovely couple.”

Tanner felt a burst of pride and excitement.

“ No ,” Valentina said sharply.

There was an awkward pause.

“Oh,” Mrs. Hastings said. “I’m sorry.”

“We work together and we’re friends,” Valentina said, her calm, friendly voice back in place again. “But of course, I would never get involved romantically with someone I work with.”

Never.

A moment later, Zeke came running back over and Mrs. Hastings said her goodbyes. But Tanner was in a haze the whole time, as the hope that had been slowly growing inside him wilted and died in his chest.